penta

“So I was hard on the Beast, win or lose,
When I got upstairs, those tragic girls in my head,
Turfing him out of bed; standing alone
On the balcony, the night so cold I could taste the stars
On the tip of my tongue. And I made a prayer –
Thumbing my pearls, the tears of Mary, one by one,
Like a rosary – words for the lost, the captive beautiful,
The wives, those less fortunate than we.
The moon was a hand-mirror breathed on by a Queen.
My breath was a chiffon scarf for an elegant ghost.
I turned to go back inside. Bring me the Beast for the night.
Bring me the wine-cellar key. Let the less-loving one be me.

- an excerpt from Mrs. Beast - ”
― Carol Ann Duffy, The World's Wife

“There was one thing, however, that I didn’t know: evil is a gift received at birth. There’s no acquiring it. Those of us who have not come to this world armed with spurs and fangs are losers in every combat.”
― Maryse Condé, I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem

“It came from the woods. Most strange things do.”
― Emily Carroll, Through the Woods

“- You're so hateful.
- I learned at your feet.”
― Gillian Flynn, Sharp Objects